As we bid farewell to Summer days,
and welcome Autumn's dwindling rays,
followed by the Winter's freeze,
Then, soon enough; Springs warm breeze.
Let us bear in mind,
that change is not always kind
but in the end it surly brings,
sweet songs of the Promised Spring.
-Renee Fister-Lee
My "attempt" at poetry...LOL! Feeling a little blue today...The life of an expat means learning how to say "good-bye" many, many times and somehow it never seems to get any easier.
Micki Fish came recommended to me by another expat mom who had used her services and learned that I was in need of a pet sitter. We were new to Denmark and Maggie (dog) and Balcony (elderly kitty) had just experienced their first flight overseas and were still insecure in their new surroundings. I did not want to board them at a kennel when we took our planned trip to Sweden and Finland so soon after our arrival. I was looking for someone to come to the house to care for them so they wouldn't have to go somewhere unfamiliar, again.
I called Micki and she came over to meet all of us, including the furry girls. My first impressions were that she was super sweet, caring and very good with the girls. They instantly bonded with her and I knew they would be safe with her while we vacationed.
While we were on our vacation, Micki provided daily emails and updates on the progress of the girls and that made me feel relieved that they were with her and that she was so caring and thorough.
Upon our return, Micki and I set a date to meet for coffee and that was the real beginning to a great friendship. We met weekly, if not more, for coffee, belly dancing lessons, exercise workouts and walks around Copenhagen, exploring and sharing our knowledge in our new surroundings. The better we got to know each other, we discovered how much we had in common and started to plan more things to do together...our latest has been a Harry Potter "marathon"...LOL!! Micki will often come over for lunch, then we will get settled in on the sofa in front of a Harry Potter movie while our hands are busily cross-stitching, sewing or crocheting!
Micki's husband Jason is a great guy, easy going and so much fun. We have all enjoyed getting together (especially the guys) to watch American football on Sundays, play Kubb (yard game), throw the Frisbee or to experience many of the Danish restaurant choices. Most especially fun have been the adult outings and get-togethers in which there is beer tasting. :o) YUM
Denmark has been "home" to Micki and Jason for close to two years. Jason has been working on his PhD at the university and recently traveled to France to present his work results. Their time is up next week and good-bye is inevitable. It is very bittersweet as I am so happy they will be going back to Colorado and will be reunited with family for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. However, I will miss them dearly!! I won't be able to pass Paludan's (our favorite coffee shop hangout) without thinking of Micki.
The bright side, and upside to this good-bye is that once Randell, the boys and I return to the states, we will have wonderful friends that we will be visiting in Colorado and they will be vacationing with us at the NC coast!! We have promised to make this a tradition!
I LOVE you Micki and Jason!! Godspeed, travel safe and see you again soon!!
